Angle bending machine



20, 1942- w. M. GOLDSMITH ETAL 2,299,537

ANGLE BENDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5, 1940 WILLIAM M. GOLDSMITH WILLIAM H. KAPPES INVENTORS FIG. 2.

ATTORN 1942- w. M. GOLDSMITH ETAL 2,299,537

ANGLE BENDING MACHINE Filed June 3, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3.

m u /9 T l B I 1 E w m M 6 MH 1 F MM INVENTORS BY? 2,; 2a

ATTORNE s v Patented Oct. 20, 1942 ANGLE BENDING MACHINE William M. Goldsmith an Cincinnati, Ohio; Goldsmith (1 William H. Kappes,

said Kappcs assig-nor to said Application June 3, 1940, Serial No. 338,551

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a bending machine, the purpose of which is to perform a bending operation upon metallic baseboard units of the character herein disclosed, and in the issued patent of Wm. M. Goldsmith, No. 2,241,704, dated May 13, 1941 Instead of bending the baseboard units at the factory, upon order and specification, the machine of the present invention may be used in the field, or on the job, to perform the bending operation accurately and neatly according to the requirements of the particular job with which it is concerned.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive bending machine for metallic baseboard units, which may be installed on the job and used as needed in the construction of walls or partitions, the machine being so designed that its operation and use may be undertaken by persons other than skilled workers or factory machinists.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bending machine of the character referred to, which may be used to bend single or double baseboard elements, to form either an inner corner or an outer corner as the job may require, the operation being performed with a high degree of accuracy and neatness such as would be expected in a factory job, but without the use of welds or the like for building up the corner structure.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the bending machine of the invention, part being broken away to show interior construction.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, part of the base being broken away.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the machine, as viewed from left to right on Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental perspective View of a metallic baseboard unit which has been cut and notched preparatory to reception by the bending machine of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental top plan view of the metallic baseboard unit of Fig. 4, showing the unit bent to a right angular corner formation produced by the bending machine of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a single metallic baseboard which has been bent in the machine of the invention, to produce interior and exterior corners.

In the Goldsmith and Kappes Patent No. 2,227,- 185, issued December 31, 1940, an explanation was given as to the mean and method employed in cutting and notching a baseboard unit as illustrated by Fig. 4:.

So far as the present invention is concerned, it is immaterial whether the cut away and notch operations be performed by one method or another, so long as the baseboard unit be prepared as in Fig. 4 for reception by the bending machine of the present invention. Immaterial also is the matter of what use is made of the baseboard unit after having been formed, however, for an explanation of the use and application of metallic baseboards, the reader may refer to the issued patent of P. D. Peck et al. No. 2,052,033, granted August 25, 1936.

Prior to the present invention, it was customary for a building contractor to have both the straight and the angular baseboard sections factory built, with the result that his workmen were charged with very accurately measuring the requirements of the building under construction or revision. They would then specify and order from the factory the various straight sections and angular sections needed for the job. This procedure required special factory work, and presented always a shipping problem due to the varying shapes of the angle or corner sections. Moreover, any mistakes made in initially measuring for the corner sections resulted in needless expense and delay in the building program. With the use of the present invention, the angle or corner sections are produced on the job, and in a manner such as to compensate for variations of measurements and requirements encountered at the site of the construction work. The preparation of the baseboard unitfor bending, also is performed on the job by means of simple tools as referred to in our copending application, but which need not be of concern herein.

For a proper understanding of the bending machine constituting the present invention, it is deemed advisable to first described the metallic baseboard unit of Fig. 4. This unit comprises a pair of side walls 7 and 8 held in spaced parallel relationship by means of the U-straps 9 which may be welded or otherwise fixed to the walls. Each strap preferably is provided with an elongated aperture |0 to accommodate a nail or other fastening means whereby the baseboard unit may be fixed to a floor or other support. The legs H and I2 of each U-strap preferably extend the full height of the baseboard unit side walls, and their free ends rest within the crotch formed between each side wall and its inwardly turned angle flange. The flanges of the side walls are indicated at I3 and I4, and it will be noted that each meets its associated wall at an acute angle.

One of the walls, for example wall 8, is cut away by means of a saw, shear or other tool located on the job, to remove a rectangular section which in width approximates the distance: across the side walls of the baseboard unit, assuming a desire to form a right angular bend of the unit. This cutting away of the section results in the formation of opposed parallel edges i5 and I6 intermediate the length of side wall 8..

At a location on the side wall I, substantially opposite the edge I5, there is formed in the flange l3 a notch ll the point N3 of which forms approximately a 90 apex of the notch. The edge IQ of the notch preferably will be directly behind the edge l5 of side wall 8, so that when the unit is bent along a line which bisects the point l8 of the notch, the resulting corner construction will be as illustrated by Fig. 5. It will be seen that the resulting angle construction is neat and substantial, with the edges l5 and I6 substantially abutting adjacent portions of the unit to furnish close joints, the joint at I6 being desirably straight and tight to furnish a workmanlike appearance. The bending of the structure from the Fig. 4 condition to the condition indicated in Fig. 5, is the function of the machine illustrated by Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be understood that the machine is a bench machine which comprises a base 2| resting upon angle irons or the like 22, if desired, which latter may be drilled or punched to receive bolts or other fastening means utilized in fixing the machine to a bench or other support. The base 2| mounted thereon a forming die or plate 23 which, as seen in Fig. 3, has its upper horizontal edge inclined as at 24 at an inclination corresponding to the angle at which the flanges l3 and IA of the baseboard unit meet the side wall thereof. At the outside edge of the forming die or plate. a shoulder 25 may be provided coextensive with the inclined face 24. The die or plate 23 may be fixed to the base in any suitable manner, such as by mortising it into a channel of the base as indicated at 26. The die or plate 23 preferably is of sufficient length to furnish a substantial support for a baseboard unit wall and flange 7-43.

Directly behind the forming die or plate 23, there is pivoted at the point 21, an arm 28 which carries a complementary forming die or plate 29 which, upon pivotal movement of the arm about the mounting 21, will move into substantial parallelism with the rear clamping face 30 of die or plate 23. The second die or plate 29, like the plate or die 23, has an inclined face 3| and a shoulder 32, which corresponds with the face and shoulder 24 and 25 of part 23. The movable forming die or plate 29 may be fixed to the face 33 of arm 28 in any suitable manner, such as by means of screws or other fastening devices, so that both forming dies will be at a common elevation above the base 2|. At this point, it may be explained that the baseboard unit of Fig. 4 may be moved bodily over to Fig. 2, and placed over the die 23 with flange l3 thereof resting upon the inclined face 24 of the die. The corner N3 of the notch is to register with the end corner 34 of the die part 23. With the baseboard unit so supported upon the die or plate 23, the arm 28 may be moved against the inner face of side wall 1 for clamping said side wall between the plates or dies 23 and 29. It will then be possible to swing a movable die or plate 35 about its trunnion or bearing 35 by means of the handle 3?, in a clockwise direction of rotation, for applying a force to the outer face of side wall 1 of the baseboard unit, to bend said wall along the line 25 which bisects the notch IT.

The movable die or plate 35, which may be referred to as the bending die as contrasted with the clamping dies 29 and 23, preferably is mounted upon a block or upright standard 33, of which the trunnion or bearing 35 is an integral part. The trunnion or bearing, of course, extends through the complementary bearing part 39 formed in the base 2|, with its center located close to the end corner 35 of die or plate 23. The inner corner 40 of the swinging die 35 preferably is located directly along the axis of the bearing or trunnion 35, or at least very close to the axis thereof. Said die has an inclined face 4| corresponding to the inclined face 3| of die 29, and also a shoulder 42 corresponding to shoulder 32. The die or plate 35 may be fixed to the upright standard 38 in any suitable manner, such as by means of screws or bolts 43. The inner end of handle 33 is embedded in the block 1 or standard 38.

Any suitable means may be employed for swinging the clamping die 29 and its arm 28 about the pivotal point 2l, the means shown herein by way of example being an eccentric post rotatable about the axle ends 44 and 45, the latter being journaled in the base of the machine. The eccentric portion of the post constitutes a toe Q6 and a heel 41, the toe being adapted to wipe a curved surface 48 formed as a vertical depression in the swinging end of arm 28. By means of a threaded nut 49 on the upper axle end 33, there is securely fixed to the eccentric post a bell crank having arms 55 and 5| extending at an obtuse angle to one another. The arms carry upstanding pins or shafts 52 and 53 which serve as handles for rotating the bell crank and the eccentric post which is fixed thereto. From the disclosure of Fig. 2, it should be evident that rotation of the bell crank in clockwise direction will cause the toe 46 of the eccentric to bear against the rear of die or plate 29, and thereby advance it toward the rear face 39 of the stationary die 23. Rotation of the bell crank in the opposite direction will cause the toe of the eccentric to operate against the curved surface 48, for retracting the swinging die part 29 from the stationary die or plate 23.

At this point in the description, it is to be noted that the bell crank is at an elevation above the highest points of dies 23 and 29, such that the bell crank arm 5| when swung in clockwise direction of rotation will assume an overhanging relationship to the point 54 of die 29, and the point 34 of die 23. Moved to said position, the bell crank arm 5| will rest heavily upon the upper edge of the flange i3 of a baseboard unit, adjacent to the point of notch ll, thereby to prevent distortion of the flange during the operation of bending the wall I by means of swinging the handle 31 and its die 35 to form the angle desired.

The length of the bell crank arm 53 is such that its end 55 will strike and bind against a wedging face 56 of the post 51 which extends upwardly from the base in substantial parallelism with the axis of the eccentric, and the resulting binding action has the effect of locking the other arm 5| in place over the baseboard fiange while at the same time precluding release of the clamping action imposed by the clamping die 29.

As will be understood, the clamping of the eccentric in its operative relationship to the die 29, may be assisted also by reason of the fact that the toe of the eccentric may approach a dead center position relative to its axis of rotation and the rear face of plate or die 29 along the line of contact with the toe of the eccentric. In the absence of the dead center relationship mentioned, the bell crank will be understood to perform several functions, namely, furnishing a lever for rotation of the eccentric post, furnishing a lock against rotation of the post from clamping position, and furnishing a depresser for the baseboard flange at substantially the point where the side wall of the baseboard unit is to be bent. The depressing action of arm against the flange adjacent to the notch l1, assures against distortion of the flange during the bending operation, so that a neat and smooth corner mortise is obtained,

It Will at once be evident that the forming of a corner section like Fig. 5, from a baseboard unit prepared as in Fig. 4, requires no usage of the inclined faces 3! and 4| of the dies or plates 29 and 35, respectively. These inclined faces come into use, however, when it is desired to make a reverse bend as indicated at 59 of Fig. 6, as the flange sections 60 and SI thereof will then rest upon said inclined faces 3| and 4|, respectively. Since when a bend such as 59 is to be formed, a stretching of the flange metal is bound to occur, it is desirable that the adjacent ends of dies 29 and 35 be curved or rounded as at 62 and 63 to provide surfaces upon which the stretching of the flange metal may occur and form. The result of such reverse bending of the flange over the curved ends of the dies, is a smooth and rounded symmetrical flange formation. It will be understood, of course, that the reverse bend may be formed only on the single baseboard wall of the Fig. 6 type, whereas the other form of bend, or exterior corner like that shown at IU of Fig. 5, and at 6-1 of Fig. 6, may be produced on the double baseboard unit walls or the'single baseboard strip.

One acceptable form of the bending machine having been disclosed herein in detail, it is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the structural details thereof, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of an elongated stationary die plate having an upper transversely inclined edge, and a shiftable die plate movable toward and from a position of substantial parallelism with the stationary die plate, said shiftable plate including an upper edge inclined in a direction opposite to the inclination of the stationary die plate edge, means for locking the shiftable plate against a work strip placed between the plates, and a bending plate having an edge in proximity and in parallelism with an end of the stationary die plate, and means for rotating the bending plate about said edge, said bending plate having an upper edge level with but inclined in a direction opposite to the direction of inclination of the upper edge of the stationary die plate.

2. In a bending machine for a baseboard strip having a longitudinal edge flange angularly related to the strip, said machine comprising an upright elongated die plate having a vertical end and a wide upper edge, said upper edge being inclined outwardly-and downwardly toward one face of the plate at an angle approximating the angularity of the baseboard flange to the strip, a second elongated die plate movable into planar clamping engagement against a baseboard strip :and'a bending element in the form of a plate having an upstanding edge and means for rotating the bending element about said edge upon an axis which is parallel to and in close proximity with the vertical end of the first die plate and also with the terminal edge of the second die plate, an upper inclined face on the bending plate sloping in the same direction and with the same angularity as the inclined upper edge of the second die plate, and at substantially the same elevation, and means for moving and clamping the second die plate into coplanar relationship to the bending plate with their inclined upper edges in line.

3. In a bending machine for a baseboard strip having a longitudinal edge flange angularly related to the strip, said machine comprising an upright elongated die plate having a vertical end and a wide upper edge, said upper edge being inclined outwardly and downwardly toward one face of the plate at an angle approximating the angularity of the baseboard flange to the strip, a second elongated die plate movable into planar clamping engagement against a baseboard strip fitted onto the first die plate with its flange resting fiatwise upon the inclined upper edge of said first die plate, said second plate having a erminal edge coextensive with and substantially parallel to the vertical end of the first die plate, and having an upper edge inclined in a direction opposite to the direction of inclination of the upper edge of the first die plate, whereby a flanged baseboard strip may be reversed and fitted onto the second die plate as well as onto the first die plate, and a bending element in the form of a plate having an upstanding edge and means for rotating the bending element about said edge upon an axis which is parallel to and in close proximity with the vertical end of the first die plate and also with the terminal edge of the second die plate, an upper inclined face on the bending plate sloping in the same direction and with the same. angularity as the inclined upper edge of the second die plate, and at substantially the same elevation, and means for moving and clamping the second die plate into coplanar relationship to the bending plate with their inclined upper edges in line, adjacent portions of said upper edges of the bending plate and of the second die plate having their corners rounded to provide forms for shaping the baseboard flanges as the bending plate is rotated as stated.

4. In a bending machine of the class described,

.the combination which comprises a base, a stationary elongated die plate standing on edge upon the base and including a terminal vertical end and an upper edge sloping at an inclination to one face of the die plate along its length, an arm pivoted to the base and reaching toward the terminal end of the die plate, said arm having a vertical recess therein, an eccentric operative for rotation Within the recess to move the arm toward the die plate, an overhanging clamp piece fixed to one end of the eccentric for rotation therewith to a position over and in close proximity to the terminal vertical end of the stationary die plate, a second die plate fixed to the pivoted arm for movement therewith into substantial face contact with the first die plate, the second plate having a vertical terminal end located for substantially meeting the terminal end of the stationary die plate upon shifting of the arm toward the latter, and a flat bending plate having a vertical edge located close to the terminal ends of both die plates, with one face thereof in position to be aligned with a face of the second die plate upon rotational movement of its supporting arm by the eccentric, and means for shifting the bending plate rotationally about an axis which includes the vertical edge of the bending plate, to form a work piece held between the plates first mentioned.

5. In a bending machine of the class described, the combination which comprises a base, a stationary elongated die plate standing on edge upon the base and including a terminal vertical end and an upper edge sloping at an inclination to one face of the die plate along its length, an arm pivoted to the base and reaching toward the terminal end of the die plate, said arm having a vertical recess therein, an eccentric operative for rotation within the recess to move the arm toward the die plate, an overhanging clamp piece fixed to one end of the eccentric for rotation therewith to a position over and in close proximity to the terminal vertical end of the stationary die plate, a second die plate fixed to the pivoted arm for movement therewith into substantial face contact With the first die plate, the second plate having a vertical terminal end located for substantially meeting the terminal end of the stationary die plate upon shifting of the arm toward the latter, and a fiat bending plate having a vertical edge located close to the terminal ends of both die plates, with one face thereof in position to be aligned with a face of the second die plate upon rotational movement of its supporting arm by the eccentric, means for shifting the bending plate rotationally about an axis which includes the vertical edge of the bending plate, to form a work piece held between the plates first mentioned, and means on the bending plate and one of the die plates, providing a curved form for stretching and shaping the metal of a flanged edge of the work piece.

6. A bending machine for field use upon metallic baseboard units having side walls provided with notched longitudinal flanges angularly related to the side walls, said machine comprising means for firm support of a unit flange and side wall from the location of the notch outwardly toward an end of the unit, said support means having a terminal end corner for registration with the apex of the notch of the flange, and means at said end corner operative upon the portion of the unit side wall which extends beyond the terminal end corner of the suppor means, to produce a transverse bend which substantially bisects the apex of the flange notch, means for clamping the unit side wall against shifting relative to the support during the bending operation, and means shiftable laterally at a constant elevation, from a remote position at one side of the terminal end corner of the support means, to a position overlying said terminal end corner, for applying a force to the unit flange adjacent to the notch thereof, for firmly pressing the flange against its support to preclude buckling at the notch during the bending operation.

'7. A bending machine for field use upon metallic baseboard units having side walls provided with notched longitudinal flanges angularly related to the side walls, said machine comprising means for firm support of a unit flange and side wall from the location of the notch outwardly toward an end of the unit, said support means having a terminal end corner for registration with the apex of the notch of the flange, and means at said end corner operative upon the portion of the unit side wall which extends beyond the terminal end corner of the support means, to produce a transverse bend which substantially bisects the apex of the flange notch, and means shiftable laterally at a constant elevation, from a remote position at one side of the terminal end corner of the support means, to a position overlying said terminal end corner, for applying a force to the unit flange adjacent to the notch thereof, for firmly pressing the flange against its support to preclude buckling at the notch during the bending operation.

8. In a bending machine of the class described, the combination which comprises a base, a stationary elongated die plate standing on edge upon the base and including a terminal vertical end and an upper edge sloping at an inclination to one face of the die plate along its length, an arm pivoted to the base and reaching toward the terminal end of the die plate, an eccentric operative to move the arm toward the die plate, an overhanging clamp piece fixed to one end of the eccentric for rotation therewith to a position over and in close proximity to the terminal vertical end of the stationary die plate, a second die plate fixed to the pivoted arm for movement therewith into substantial face contact with the first die plate, the second plate having a vertical terminal end located for substantially meeting the terminal end of the stationary die plate upon shifting of the arm toward the latter, and a flat bending plate having a vertical edge located close to the terminal ends of both die plates, with one face thereof in position to be aligned with a face of the second die plate upon rotational movement of its supporting arm by the eccentric, and means for shifting the bending plate rotationally about an axis which includes the vertical edge of the bending plate, to form a work piece held between the plates first mentioned.

9. In a bending machine of the class described, the combination which comprises a base, a stationary elongated die plate standing on edge upon the base and including a terminal vertical end and an upper edge sloping at an inclination to one face of the die plate along its length, an arm pivoted to the base and reaching toward the terminal end of the die plate, an eccentric operative to move the arm toward the die plate, an overhanging clamp piece fixed to one end of the eccentric for rotation therewith to a position over and in close proximity to the terminal vertical end of the stationary die plate, a second die plate fixed to the pivoted arm for movement therewith into substantial face contact with the first die plate, the second plate having a vertical terminal end located for substantially meeting the terminal end of the stationary die plate upon shifting of the arm toward the latter, and a flat bending plate having a vertical edge located close to the terminal ends of both die plates, with one face thereof in position to be aligned with a face of the second die plate upon rotational movement of its supporting arm by the eccentric, means for shifting the bending plate rotationally about an axis which includes the vertical edge of the bending plate, to form a Work piece held between the plates first mentioned, and means on the bending plate and one of the die plates, providing a curved form for stretching and shaping the metal of a flanged edge of the work piece.

10. A bending machine for field use upon m tallic baseboard units having side walls provided with notched longitudinal flanges angularly related to the side walls, said machine comprising means for firm support of a unit flange and side wall from the location of the notch outwardly toward an end of the unit, said support means having a terminal end corner for registration with the apex of the notch of the flange, and means at said end corner operative upon the portion of the unit side wall which extends beyond the terminal end corner of the support means, to produce a transverse bend which substantially bisects the apex of the flange notch, means for clamping the unit side Wall against shifting relative to the support during the bending operation, said clamping means including a laterally swingable clamp actuator shiftable over the terminal end corner of the support means at a constant elevation approximating the unit flange thickness, for applying to the unit flange at the notch a force firmly pressing the flange against its support to preclude buckling at the notch during the bending operation.

WILLIAM M. GOLDSMITH. WILLIAM H. KAPPES. 

